New footage shows how John Spytek pulled off trade and still landed Treydan Stukes

The 2026 NFL Draft has long been over at this point, but analysis from it keeps pouring in. The early and common view is that the Las Vegas Raiders, led by John Spytek, who was thankfully not hemmed in at all this year, knocked it out of the park and landed several key pieces for the future.

Fernando Mendoza is obviously considered the biggest piece, but second-rounder Treydan Stukes should make a massive impact both right away and down the line as well. Some are even calling Stukes a sleeper for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. That's how good he can be in Las Vegas.

But the Raiders gambled and still got him. They traded back a few spots in Round 2 with the Houston Texans and took a leap of faith that Stukes would still be available. And new footage shows how Spytek and the crew were able to pull that off and cash in.

Las Vegas Raiders played trade back in Round 2 of 2026 NFL Draft to a T

ESPN was able to get behind-the-scenes coverage from several NFL war rooms during this year's draft, and the Raiders' was one of them. In this mini-documentary, they showed the world the emotions in the room and how Las Vegas landed on the trade with Houston.

And how happy they were to still land Stukes.

"I think I want to do the Houston one, you know? See who's there?" Spytek said to head coach Klint Kubiak.

"(Pick Nos.) 36 and 117 for 38 and 91. Y'all feel good about it?" Spytek polled the room. "Worth the risk?"

It then panned to Raiders SVP and director of football administration Tom Delaney, who is also a salary cap wizard, calling in the trade to move back.

"Good deal," Spytek said, once it was official. "My heart gets going with these. It's fun."

Then, it went back to Spytek when Las Vegas was on the clock.

"Take him?" Spytek asked about Stukes. Then, the selection was officially made, and the team celebrated. "I love trading. Especially when it works out."

Now, nothing really crazy happened in this exchange. But this peek behind the curtain into the Raiders' draft room was simply entertaining to watch for the fanbase. And it really was a gamble to see if Stukes was still there a few picks later, as he had significant Round 1 buzz earlier in the week.

Spytek threw up a pretty thick smoke screen on Day 2 about his interest in defensive tackles and wide receivers, however. That forced teams' hands and made them give up premier capital if they wanted to move up and pry one of them from Las Vegas' hands.

Based on Spytek saying he "wants to do the Houston one," it sounds like the Raiders had more than one offer in hand. With several good defensive tackles and wideouts on the board, Las Vegas squeezed every bit of capital that it could out of its foes.

Thankfully, Stukes was still there, and as Spytek said, everything worked out. The Raiders were able to move back into Round 3 and nab Trey Zuhn III as well, and they got who they originally wanted at No. 36. This was masterful work by Spytek and Co., and now fans have a chance to see it play out.

For those of you who didn't get to watch this moment:

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